Mexico’s President, Andres Manuel López Obrador, is setting a new record for political irreconcilability: after giving a red carpet welcome to Peru’s president and awarding the dictator with Mexico’s most prestigious medal, he continues to question his democratic credentials Are. Cuban.
I know, it sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. López Obrador has called Peruvian President Dina Boluarte a “usurper” of power.
What’s more, the Mexican president justified his refusal to hand over to Peru the rotating presidency of the Pacific Alliance, a trading bloc made up of Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru, citing the Peruvian government’s perceived lack of democratic legitimacy.
For all this, the Peruvian Congress declared López Obrador “persona non grata” in Peru on 24 May. Although the Peruvian Congress has a disapproval rate of 90 percent, according to a recent poll by the IEP company, many Peruvians are applauding its decision to declare López Obrador undesirable in the country.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte may be criticized for her crackdown on opposition protesters early in her government, but constitutional experts agree that her appointment was in accordance with Peruvian law, contrary to the Mexican president’s claims. Even Chile’s leftist president, Gabriel Boric, is calling for the rotating chairmanship of the Pacific Alliance to be assigned to Peru.
Boluaarte was declared president in December after former leftist President Pedro Castillo was ousted by Congress for staging a coup. Castillo was arrested after announcing on national television that he would dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
When I read López Obrador’s recent statements questioning Boluaarte’s democratic credentials, I find it hard to believe he was serious.
López Obrador is trying to portray himself as an unwavering defender of democracy in Peru just three months after decorating Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel with the Order of the Aztec Eagle – the Mexican government’s highest honor for a foreigner .
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And most recently, on April 5, López Obrador told a virtual presidential summit that Cuba is a country that “is worth going to and living there,” a surprising statement for an island where large numbers of people are fleeing by sea. They put their lives at risk. Save them from suffering.
Mexico’s refusal to hand over the rotating presidency of the Pacific Alliance to Peru is hurting the economies of Peru, Chile, and Colombia, which form trade blocks with Mexico.
“By doing so, López Obrador is torpedoing the Pacific Alliance, the most efficient integration mechanism in Latin America,” former Chilean foreign minister Roberto Ampueroa told me.
“The coalition has been successful precisely because it focuses on concrete results, not ideological issues,” Empuro said. “It is now paralyzed because of López Obrador’s political views.”
One of the various theories as to why López Obrador refused to hand over the rotating trade bloc presidency to Peru, in addition to his sympathy for former Peruvian President Castillo, is that the Mexican president never liked the Pacific Alliance.
The group was formed in 2011 by the mostly centre-right president, who wanted to increase free trade in the region.
In addition, López Obrador may be trying to deflect public attention from the record rates of violence in his country. New official figures show Mexico recorded a record 156,066 murders last year, and the total number of violent deaths is already the highest it has been during López Obrador’s tenure.
Another additional explanation could be that López Obrador wants to gain some prominence in South America. In the past year, López Obrador’s figure as one of the leaders of the regional left has been eclipsed by the presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Chile.
Whatever the reason, López Obrador has no legal basis or moral right to question the legitimacy of Boluaarte. How can López Obrador attack Peruvian democracy while praising the Cuban dictatorship?
It doesn’t make any sense, and you have to remind her.
Don’t miss the TV show “Oppenheimer Presenta” on CNN en Español Sunday nights at 8 p.m. Miami time. Blog: www.andresoppenheimer.com
